Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-02-15

CITY AND DISTRICT.
POLICY AND POLICY PLAYERS.
A Species Of Gambling Secretly Carried
On in the District.
THE DAILY DRAWINGS IN KENTUcKY-How TIE BUsI-
NESS HERE Is MANAGBD-THE HEADQUARTERS ON
THE VIRGINIA SIDE OF THE RIvKR-DREAMs, DREAM
BOOKS AND ROWS.
class Of people who are interested at present
in the reconstruction Of the Aqueduct bridge and
the establishment OF free communication between
Virginia and the District are the policy writer's.
The headquarters OF the policy "backers" VINO
manage the policy operations in the District Is
located in Rosslyn, at the Virginia end OF the
Aqueduct bridge. Here they have house where
the business Is conducted. 1t is fitted out With
printing appliances, with which the slips of num-
bers that are daily distributed are printed. To
this house repair twice every day the "wrfters,"
who make their returns to headquarters and re-
turn to the city, bringing with Them perhaps, the
p1ttance that may have been won by some player
Playing policy Is species of gambling which has
prevailed in Washington, as well as other cities,
raids on policy shops in the District by the police
have made the business so precarious that the
"backerS" have been forced to abandon the city
and go across the river into Virginia. From their
stronghold there they send out their WRITERS"
who ply their trade with stealth in the city.
WHERE THE DRAWINGS TAKE PLACE.
Detective Raft, who has been employed during
much OF his time for several years in prosecuting
policy men, said to a STAR reporter, when asked
about the policy business: sThe drawings OF these
policy numbers take place in kentucky, one In
LOUISVILLE The other in Frankfort. There are TWO
drawings at each place each day, morning ana
evening. The policy player can play twice a day.
AT the hour OF II noon what is known as the
morning drawing takes place In Louisville the
drawing takes place in an immense hall. few
minutes before II o'clock big bell on the build
Ing Is rung. The business Is conducted openly, as
the authorities do not interfere. The ringing OF
the bell, which can be heard squares away, brings
together all the policy players. Probably i've or
six hundred people Will assemble in answer to the
Dell. 1t Is like convention. 1t is as motley
crowd as you ever saw-all the scum OF the city,
black and white. They SIT with paper and lead
end OF the hall is little platform, and On that
huge hollow glass wheel In that wheel are placed
seventy eight numbers, from one to seventy eight
A Dlnd1Oided boy comes out, turns the wheel anu
draws out a number. a clerk takes the card,
calls out the number and then turns its face to
the gathering SO all Can see 1t. This is repeated
at the morning drawing until the boy has drawn
out twelve numbers, which constitutes the draw
ing Tor that morning: In Frankfort there's another
drawing going on at the same time"
TELRGRAPHING THE NUMBERS.
"After the numbers are drawn" the officer went
on "they are telegraphed to New York where the
headquarters Of the firm that manages the bust
ness Is located This firm has its agencies all over
the country. Every agent has hts own book OF
c1pherS. The numbers are sent out over the cOun-
try In cipher dispatches, so as to prevent any per-
son from possibly obtaining them in advance.
The agent when he receives his telegram works
out the cipher and prints the numbers on slips.
In addition to the precautions taken in telegraph
Ing In order TO prevent ali possibility OF any ones
beating the policy men, all the policy men are
compelled to close their books ut IL O'Clock sharp,
and turn them into headquarters. All the books
get there before these drawings are received. So
n u MN .tNEsrr ffnrt no hmm
OF the drawing In Kentucky. At the evening
drawing thirteen numbers are drawn out which
II he likes on both books, buying numbers which
are good for both the Louisville and Frankfort
drawings, but In case he WINS he only gets half
as much as he would II he bought only on one
book.
When the books have all been turned in, the
clerks at headquarters go over them, and where
ever nit mas been made mark II down.
THE CuRBsTONR WRITER'S.
snow the policy business in this city has
reached such pass that most of it is done by
what are known as curbstOne writer's, who gointo
alleys to meet the players Or write numbers at
some secluded corner, always on the alert for the
on which are written the numbers he plays This
Slip OF paper has on it, for instance, the letter M
meaning the morning drawing, the date, the num-
bers which the player wants, and the amount
which he plays. The writer has book of mani
fold paper, on which he keeps record OF the num-
berS sold. He makes three sheets or copies OF
these. One of these he takes Off and keeps him
SELF is kept by the policy hacker and the third
is put into the express and sent to New York.
Aqueduct bridge, and when they have looked over
the printed slips with the numbers drawn, are
brought to the city and distributed among the
TO the writer, who pays 1t to the lucky player. The
policy firm allows the writer twenty per cent as
mis- commission, and this the writer takes out OF
his gross receipts before he turns in his money
and policy books to headquarters. All the hits
that are made the firm pays.
SOME OF THE ROWS PLAYED.
''These are some Ofithe rows played" remarked
the detective, and he showed the reporter the
following memorandum: Pistol row, 81, 10, 81;
Quarreing 2, II, "a; dog, 4, Ii, Al, IL; big dog,
4, 40, So 50, 54 louise, SO, 4, ST. comm, T. n, Il;
hog L. T. Is, A; monthly, il, 90, SO; Nth, B. 5, s,
ea a asaa g. 5 6aoy pocs - shes e. III 81
2, II, 20; horse 4, g. 16, So II; silver money, z,
1a 90 paper :. a %on ssSc ~ q = ~ igh!:
stealing 10, 16, AS blood, TO- Is, 45; water, s. II,
- 81, 81 prison. p; a, 81; president, -, y Is,
g si eSSA IT, g. 81, a. s SNAKE H. c. 81 81
drunkards, Z, IL, 81 As; whisky, 8 &, 10, 4; card,
T. Ii, 20, S.; tire, 4, &, 46, "a; washwoman, T. II,
continued the detective.
STALKING MONEY ON DREAMS.
''This policy business is such institution that
there books printed for 1t called dream books.
You can find them in every place where policy is
written and can buy them in some OF the station
cry stores. These books give an Interpretation OF
dreams, and tell what numbers q dreamer should
play. For instance, If a person dreamed about a
dog he should play the dog row, or II he dreamed
of eating he should play the eating row. This ap-
peals strongly TO the superst1dOus side OF the ne
gro. A negro player will go home at night and
eat hearty meal so as to dream. One Will In
quire OF anOther1f he dreamed last night. and If
he is answered afirmatively will find out what the
dream was and go and play on that. They always
provided to ut any dream one can conceive Of
When player gets gig, or has three OF the num-
bers drawn, he gets dollar for every cent he has
played.
BREAKING UP OPPOSITION CONCERNs.
''This firm In New York controls about all the
policy business. One third OF the receipts 60 to